43
interpreters remain
here with
you and explain each days session, I will, however, state here for the
benefit
of those who have not been at all of our councils, what my offer is. The tract of land that will be included in
the cession, if we conclude an agreement, contains 256,152 28/100 acres. My offer is a definite lump sum,
$960,670,
based upon the number of acres included in the cession, calculated at
$3.75 per
acre, and my suggestion was that the money be paid you in eleven
payments, the
first payment to be within 90 days after the agreement is ratified by
Congress,
and the remainder in ten annual payments thereafter.
I stated that $260,670 would be paid you in the first
payment
and that it would leave $700,000 to be divided into ten annual payments
of $70,000
each year, for ten years. There are,
according
to the rolls of your agency, 1332 Indians, men, women and children,
belonging
on your reservation at the present time, and calculating upon eight
additional for
children that may be born, would make 1340 persons, and for 1340
persons it
would be about $195.00 for each man, woman and child on the
reservation, for
the first payment. The $70,000 a year for ten years, divided among the
same
number of people, would give a little over $52.00 per capita, it would
be about
$52.20 a year for each man, woman and child, each year, for ten years. Now remember I don't force this manner
of
payment upon you. That is for you to
determine, if you would rather these payments to continue for fifteen
or twenty
years and have smaller payments each year, well and good.
I only suggest this. It is
for you to decide how you want
it. If the chief who has been ill and
unable to be present at our councils heretofore wishes to hear
everything that has
been said I think the better way is as I have suggested.
That is, take the minutes of our councils,
which you people have a duplicate of, and have them read and explained
by the
three interpreters. The matter is
plainly presented there and answers to all the questions propounded
